Cut Off is the second story in a series of romance-cum-crime novellas featuring Roz Benedict and Guy Attwood and, later, Kate Sampson. Cut Off can be read alone, as can all the stories in the series.
This sequel to 'Compromised' has Roz and Guy taking a mid-winter break from their home in the city of Lincoln, England. At Roz’s request, they head for a commune in Suffolk. Intending to enjoy their holiday walking and visiting country pubs, instead a spell of bad weather results in an enforced confinement in Burning Souls Hall where communications with the outside world are cut off for a week.
During that week, they get to know the residents well, some of them very well. The varied characters of their hosts ensure an interesting stay. Even before their arrival, Roz reads in a local advertiser of a young man having disappeared. Within days of the whiteout commencing, a long-dead body is accidentally uncovered in a disused conservatory.
Roz, a former detective inspector, feels compelled to preserve the scene of crime, but their new friends are all for getting on with doing up the conservatory. In fact, the restoration of the conservatory was Roz’s idea in the first place as part of the recreational activities to keep people occupied. Guy urges Roz not to rock the boat and simply carry on enjoying their holiday. Roz reluctantly relents and the body is conveyed to an outbuilding.
Nonetheless, Roz carries on discreetly digging and tries to get Guy to do so.
It isn't long before the fun of the various distractions on offer becomes overshadowed, for Roz at least, by sinister overtones. Veiled threats and accounts of past incidents are disquieting.
Events rapidly take a serious turn with a calamity in the making. Tragedy seems unavoidable.
Genre: Mystery
This sequel to 'Compromised' has Roz and Guy taking a mid-winter break from their home in the city of Lincoln, England. At Roz’s request, they head for a commune in Suffolk. Intending to enjoy their holiday walking and visiting country pubs, instead a spell of bad weather results in an enforced confinement in Burning Souls Hall where communications with the outside world are cut off for a week.
During that week, they get to know the residents well, some of them very well. The varied characters of their hosts ensure an interesting stay. Even before their arrival, Roz reads in a local advertiser of a young man having disappeared. Within days of the whiteout commencing, a long-dead body is accidentally uncovered in a disused conservatory.
Roz, a former detective inspector, feels compelled to preserve the scene of crime, but their new friends are all for getting on with doing up the conservatory. In fact, the restoration of the conservatory was Roz’s idea in the first place as part of the recreational activities to keep people occupied. Guy urges Roz not to rock the boat and simply carry on enjoying their holiday. Roz reluctantly relents and the body is conveyed to an outbuilding.
Nonetheless, Roz carries on discreetly digging and tries to get Guy to do so.
It isn't long before the fun of the various distractions on offer becomes overshadowed, for Roz at least, by sinister overtones. Veiled threats and accounts of past incidents are disquieting.
Events rapidly take a serious turn with a calamity in the making. Tragedy seems unavoidable.
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Gill Mather's Cut Off